Description
In 2010, WikiLeaks, an organisation founded to provide a platform for the publication of censored/restricted materials, made public over 250,000 US diplomatic cables. It was the largest release of secret material in history. The ‘Cablegate’ episode became an international political and diplomatic sensation. It also created a veritable treasure trove of primary source material for researchers. As a new type of journalistic endeavour for the digital age, WikiLeaks’ practices raised an array of questions regarding whistleblowing, transparency, and the publication of sensitive materials. In 2015, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accused International Relations (IR) scholars of avoiding the use of leaked materials for fear of professional or governmental reprisal. Approaching the ten-year anniversary of Cablegate, WikiLeaks is known more for the controversies surrounding Assange than for the organisation’s purported mission. This paper assesses the impact of WikiLeaks on research within IR. It examines the use of Cablegate cables in the academic study of US foreign policy. It also addresses the methodological and epistemological implications of utilising disclosed documents while reflecting on IR’s inattentiveness to the politics of sourcing in an era of pervasive leaking.
